TNAG-0862-FCO40-1072-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 63

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IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE FIVE ASEAN COUNTRIES WERE INVITED TO CANBERRA NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN REAL NEGOTIATIONS BUT TO GO THROG

THE MOTIONS OF A NEGOTIATION.

IT IS NOT THE NORMAL PRACTICE OF ASEAN COUNTRIES TO PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS IN THIS MANNER:

IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT, ON BEHLAF OF ASEAN, AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ASEAN AND AUSTRALIA, I STRONGLY APPEAL TO YOUR EXCELLENCY TO PERSUADE YOUR GOVERNMENT TO DEFER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHEAP FARE SCHEME TO ALLOW TIME FOR GENUINE NEGOTIATIONS. SHOULD THIS PROVE TO BE ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE, THEN IT IS OUR SINCERE HOPE THAT AT LEAST

· OTHER AIRLINES BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE END TO END TRAFFIC AS AT PRESENT UNTIL A MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY AGREE-

MENT IS REACHED.

WE SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT MORE THAN MERE CIVIL AVIATION

QUESTIONS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE AND THAT YOUR EXCELLENCY, AS FOREIGN MINISTER, ARE WELL AWARE WHY GOOD AND SOUND RELATIONS BETWEEN ASEAN AND AUSTRALIA ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO COPE WITH THE MANY MORE CRUCIAL CHALLENGES CONFRONTING US IN A

RAPIDLY CHANGING ASIA.

THERE SHOULD BE NO MISAPPREHENSION AS TO ASEAN SOLIDARITY IN

THIS MATTER.

WE THEREFORE HOPE THAT AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE OUR REQUEST THE FULLEST CONSIDERATION IT DESERVES..

ENDS

TEBBIT

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

FILES

MAED

COPIES TO:

MR. RUMBELOW

DOT

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT

SPD

HK & GD (6)

SEAD

NEWS D

OID

MR. BUTLER MISS BROWN MR.MURRAY

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